Mine dredger



J. L. ROE

MINEDREDGER Filed Nov. 28. 1956 INVENTOR.

JONAS L. ROE d /5 L@ FATE/V7 4654/7" United States Patent O M MINEDREDGER Jonas L. Roe, 516 Ocean View Ave., Santa Cruz, Calif. Filed Nov.28, 1956, Ser. No. 624,826

1 Claim. (Cl. 37-191) The present invention relates to dredgers and moreparticularly to mine dredgers of the type disclosed in my Patent No.2,597,036 for Endless Digger Type Mine Dredger.

In the referred-to type of dredger, a boom at the forward end of themachine supports an endless line of excavating buckets. The boom issupported for vertical and/ or horizontal swinging movement so thattunnels of dimensions suiiicient to pass the entire machine can beexcavated. To facilitate a tunneling operation, the bucket'line-supporting boom must be readily manipulated and the overall heightand width of the machine should be kept at a minimum to expediteprogress of the excavation.

Generally, it is an object of the present invention to provide animproved dredger of the type referred to for elfecting the rapidexcavation of tunnels.

It is a feature of the invention to provide an improved, simplifiedboom-swinging arrangement for a dredger whereby cost is lessened buteffectiveness is enhanced.

A further feature relates to the design of the machine which minimizesits transverse dimensions whereby passage thereof through the excavatedtunnel is facilitated.

These and other objects and features of the invention will become moreapparent from a perusal of the following description of the embodimentsof the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a preferred embodiment of the invention,the device being illustrated in an excavating operation,

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 2 to illustratedetails of the support arrangement for the boom of the dredger, and

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of a dredger constituting a moditiedembodiment of the invention.

With particular reference to Figs. l, 2, and 3, the embodiment of theinvention therein shown generally includes a tractor consisting of arelatively rigid frame structure mounted for movement on a spaced pairof endless chains 11, 12. At the forward end of the tractor frame 10 ismounted a boom 13 which carries an endless |line of excavating buckets14, such boom being capable of swinging movement about horizontal andvertical axes so that the excavating buckets 14 can be brought intoengagement with the material to be removed at various selectedhorizontal and vertical positions. The excavated material is dumped fromthe buckets 14 into a trough 15 which directs the material into atrommel in the form of a perforated drum 16 arranged to separate thematerial according to particle size. Material of relatively largeparticle size passes longitudinally through the trommel 16 to bedischarged from the rear end thereof while those of smaller size passthrough the perforated openings of the trommel together with watersupplied through an inlet pipe 17 to thereafter be carried with thewater for discharge through an outlet hose 18 for delivery to a desiredlocation.

The tractor frame 10 and the endless chains 11, 12

2,962,822 Patented iDec. 6, 1960 are of more or less conventional designand consequently will not be described in detail. However, it will beunderstood that a relatively rugged structural arrangement is desiredsince relatively great forces are exerted thereon during a dredging ortunneling operation.

In order to mount the referred-to boom 13 for the ydesired pivotingthereof, while retaining also a desired ruggedness in its mounting, ayoke structure 19 is provided in accordance with the present invention.As can best be seen in Fig. 3, the base 20 of the yoke 19 is supportedfor rotation about substantially a vertical axis at the forward end ofthe tractor frame 1li midway of the pair of endless chains 11, 12. Toinsure the desired ruggedness, a large bearing structure 21 is provided,but it will be clearly understood that any bearing structure of knowndesign having the required ruggedness can be employed. Between theupstanding, spaced legs 22, 23 of the yoke 19, a shaft 24 is supportedso as to extend transversely relative to the described vertical axis ofyoke rotation. One end of the boom 13 is pivotally supported by thisshaft 24 to provide for vertical swinging movement of the boom; and aswill be understood, the horizontal swinging of the boom 13 will beenabled by the rotation of the boom-supporting yoke 19 about theaforementioned vertical axis.

The boom 13 consists of spaced side plates 25, 26 between which the lineof excavating buckets 14 is supported for continuous movement. Fordetails of the bucket line structure and the manner of actuatingmovement thereof, reference is made to my aforementioned Patent No.2,597,036.

In order to actuate the horizontal and vertical swinging movement of theboom 12, there is provided in accordance with the present invention, asimplified boom-actuating arrangement. Generally, such arrangementincludes a pair of expansible members connected between the tractorframe 10 and the boom 13 on opposite sides of the vertical axis ofrotation of the boom-supporting yoke 19 and under the horizontal axisdefined by the shaft 24 to which the boom 13 is mounted and about whichit may pivot. Each expansible member is swivelly connected at itsopposite ends to the frame and to the boom to provide a universal jointat each position whereby a requisite change in its disposition can occuras the boom is swung relative to the supporting frame.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, each expansible member takes the form of ahydraulic cylinder 30 together with an associated piston rod 31. One endof the cylinder 30 is swivelled to the side of the frame 10 towards therear end thereof, and the end of the piston rod 31 remote from thecylinder 30 is in turn swivelled to the rearmost extremity of an arm 32that is rigidly attached to the side plate 25 or 26 of the boom 13.Dependent upon the application of fluid into the hydraulic cylinder 30,the piston rod 31 is caused to withdraw into the cylinder or to moveoutwardly therefrom to thereby effect a variation in the distancebetween the described swivel connections. Simultaneous inward or outwarddisplacement of the piston rods 31 on both sides of the frame 10 willeifect swinging of the boom 13 in a vertical plane, While, on the otherhand, if one rod is expanded while the other is withdrawn, a transverseor horizontal swinging of the boom 13 will be elfected. In order toactuate the desired movement of the piston rods 31, a suitable hydraulicsystem such as shown in my aforementioned patent can be utilized.

The aforementioned trommel 16 to which the material is delivered by thebuckets 14 on the described boom 13 forms no part of the presentinvention and for a detailed description of its structure and operation,reference is again made to my Patent No. 2,597,036. It should beparticularly noted, however, that the portion of-V the frame 10 whereinsuch trommel is housed is at a relatively low level so that its top isbelow the level reached by each bucket 14 at the mounting end of theboom 13. Thus, any tunnel of suicient dimension to permitA the passageof the boom 13 and bucket line thereon will also accommodate theremaining structure of the machine. It may also be appropriate to note,at this point, that the transverse supporting shaft 24 of the boom 13 ispreferably disposed, as shown best in Fig. 3, adjacent the upperextremities of the upright legs 22, 23 o-f the yoke 19 whereforeV thebucket line is disposed at alevel above anyV of its supportingstructure.

It will be understood impliedly from the foregoing description thatvarious changes in the described structure can be made without departingfrom the scope of the present invention. As an example, there is shown,somewhat diagrammatically in Fig. 4, a modified structural arrangementfor effecting the swinging movement of the boom. As there shown, aconjoined piston rod 311mv andi cylinder 30a is swivelly connectedbetween each side plate 25a, 26a of the boom 13a and the end of atransversely extending bar 40 mounted rigidly at the forward end of theframe 10a. As in the previously described embodiment of the invention,such an arrangement again involves the provision of but a singleexpansible member connected between the frame 10a. and the boom 13a oneach side thereof; and again, this simple arrangement not only enhancesthe actuation of the boom, but also reduces cost and the necessity forfrequent repair which are encountered in more complex structures.

Various other modifications and/ or alterations can also be made withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the foregoingdescription of two embodiments is to be considered as purely exemplaryand not in a limiting sense, and the scope of the invention is to beindicated by the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A dredger which comprises a tractor having a frame mounted for movementon a spaced pair of endless chains, a boom having a pair of side platesand mounted at one end on said frame between said chains for verticaland horizontal swinging movement, expansible members swivelly connectedat one end to the opposite sides of said frame above said chains, and anarm on each side plate of said boom swivelly connected at its extremityto a respective one of said exp-ansiblle members at a position above arespective one of said chains, said expansible members extendingangularly outward from said frame when said boom is disposed insubstantial alignment with said frame.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 884,960Suiter Apr. 1,4, 1908 1,783,787 Hansen Dec. 2, 1930 1,860,481 Royer May31, 1932 1,861,194 Sloane May 31, 1932 2,597,036 Roe May 20, 19522,639,048 Glashaw May 19, 1953 2,694,355 Pertics et a1 Nov. 16, 1954naar

